The invention relates to an automatic service vending machine that accepts currency and/or credit or debit cards and restores scuffed or scratched compact disks (optical disks), such as music or software CD""s, DVD""s, game discs and CD-ROMs (hereinafter referred to as disks).
There have been numerous prior attempts at disk restoration by polishing or resurfacing of the polycarbonate layer as exemplified by the teachings of U.S. Pat. 6,322,430 issued Nov. 27, 2001 to Kennedy et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,566 issued Sep. 21, 1999 to Bauer, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, but none teach or suggest entirely automatic handling of the disk, nor a vending machine approach.
According to one aspect, the invention provides disk restoration service vending apparatus comprising means for inspecting a disk to determine whether it is correctly positioned and for detecting scratches/puncture (in the reflective layer) and assessing reparabilty and means for polishing the exposed light receiving protective (polycarbonate) layer of the disk to reduce, ameliorate or eliminate scratches in response to payment by a user.
In one embodiment, a disk transferring means may be provided to transfer the disk between the inspection means and the polishing means.
In another embodiment, the inspection means and the polishing means may be provided at same operating station avoiding disk transfer.
The invention also provides vending apparatus for optical disk restoration comprising: a housing; means for receiving and guiding an optical disk to be restored from a customer into the housing; means for inspecting the disk in the housing to determine whether the disk is correctly positioned for polishing and for providing a signal indicative of a position of the disk; means for detecting any perforation in a reflective layer of a correctly positioned disk and providing a signal indicative thereof; means for ejecting the disk from the housing in response to a signal by the detecting means that the reflective layer has been perforated; a user interface for requesting and receiving payment from a customer in response to a signal by the detecting means that the reflective layer is imperforate and for providing a signal indicating receipt of correct payment; means for polishing an exposed light receiving surface of a data carrying protective layer of the disk to ameliorate any scratches therein in response to receipt of a signal from the user interface means indicating correct payment by the payment requesting and receiving means; and, means for ejecting a polished disk from the housing to the customer.
More specifically, the detecting means and the polishing means are provided at a detecting station and a polishing station, respectively, and means are provided for transferring the disk from the detecting station to the polishing station in response to a signal from the detecting means that the reflective layer is imperforate.
Preferably, the guiding means comprises a disk receiving slot formed in an outer wall of the housing and means are provided for feeding a disk received in the slot to the inspecting station.
In a preferred construction, the detecting station is located vertically above the polishing station and the transferring means comprises a vertical spindle having an upper end provided with disk supporting means and being movable between an upper disk receiving position at the detecting station and a lower disk polishing position at the polishing station.
Conveniently, the spindle forms a hub driving a disk supporting turntable at the polishing station.
It is further preferred that the polishing means comprises: a polishing wheel having a smooth, hard polishing surface; means for supplying, sequentially, a first grade and a second grade of abrasive slurry at a controlled rate to the surface of the polishing wheel, the first grade being coarser than the second grade; and, means maintaining the polishing surface parallel to and spaced apart from the disk surface by an amount sufficient to permit distribution of the abrasive slurry therebetween thereby to polish the disk surface.
This contactless approach significantly reduces wear on the polishing wheel obviating frequent replacement and consequential downtime.
Conveniently, the disk is ejected from the housing through the disk receiving slot.
According to another aspect, the invention provides a method for polishing the surface of an optical disk comprising the steps of: providing a rotating polishing wheel having a smooth, hard polishing surface; supplying, sequentially, a plurality of grades of abrasive slurry of successively increasing fineness at a controlled rate to the polishing surface of the rotating polishing wheel, successive grades being finer than prior grades, while maintaining the polishing surface parallel to and spaced apart from the disk surface during the supply of the slurry by an amount sufficient to permit distribution of the abrasive slurry therebetween, thereby to polish the disk surface.
According to a further aspect, the invention provides apparatus for polishing the surface of an optical disk comprising: a rotating polishing wheel having a smooth, hard polishing surface; means for supplying, sequentially, a plurality of grades of abrasive slurry of successively increasing fineness at a controlled rate to the polishing surface of the rotating polishing wheel, means for maintaining the polishing surface and a surface of a disk to be polished parallel to and relatively spaced apart; during the supply of the slurry by an amount sufficient to permit distribution of the abrasive slurry therebetween, thereby to polish the disk surface.
The invention also provides an automated method for restoring optical disks in return for payment by a customer comprising the steps of: providing a housing; receiving in the housing a disk to be restored from a customer; checking that the disk is correctly positioned in the housing for polishing; one of ejecting the disk from the housing if the disk is incorrectly positioned for polishing and, if correctly positioned, inspecting the disk for any perforation in a reflective layer of the disk; one of ejecting the disk from the housing if the reflective layer is perforated and, if imperforate, requesting payment from the customer; one of ejecting the disk from the housing if correct payment is not received and, if correct payment received, restoring the disk by polishing; and ejecting the restored disk from the housing.